Many thanks to the following people for taking time out of their busy schedules to be interviewed by 8th grade BMS students who are creating short videos to submit to C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition: Ed Fendley, EPA Program Manager for the Office of Sustainable Communities and former White House Staffer (via SKYPE), Janna Brown, Western Mass News Meteorologist, Eric Segundo, Director of Veterans Affairs for the Town of Ludlow, Hampden County Sheriff-Elect Nick Cocchi, and Tim Vercelloti, Professor of Political Science/Director of the Western New England University Polling Institute.

The interviews focused on climate change, veterans' affairs, the opioid crisis, the school-to-prison pipeline, gun control, and the electoral college. The StudentCam competition theme for 2017 is, Your Message to Washington: What is the most urgent issue for the new president and Congress to address in 2017?

“Now that the interview phase is wrapping up, students will begin creating their own 5-7 minute documentary on the issue that they believe President-Elect Donald Trump, and Congress, should address in the coming year,” explained Mrs. Laura O’Keefe, BMS 8th grade history teacher. “Their videos will combine their research, interviews, and media footage on their respective topics.”

The Ludlow Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or disability in admission to, access to, employment in or treatment in its programs and activities.